Between the Lines
by darlin-deveroux
Summary: Completely AU. Santana, a struggling writer, lives a quiet life off the coast of Maine with her roommates Blaine and Kurt. Quinn, who recently endured a public divorce from the Mayor's son of her hometown, just moved in to the cottage next store. And of course, as fate and the Gods would have it, their worlds collide.


Completely AU. Santana, a struggling writer, lives a quiet life off the coast of Maine with her roommates Blaine and Kurt. Quinn, who recently endured a public divorce from the Mayor's son of her hometown, just moved in to the cottage next store. And of course, as fate and the Gods would have it, their worlds collide.

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_A hard beginning maketh a good ending. - John Heywood_

* * *

"Beginnings suck."

"Santana, just keep going, let's see where this ends up."

"I know where it ends up, Shitville, in Fucktown, U.S.A, which just so happens to be next to the shredder." Santana flung her head down in her hands as she moaned, her roommate Kurt patting her back for encouragement as she moped. "I can't do this."

"Santana, yes you can."

"Ok, I don't _want_ to do this."

"Don't you say that," Kurt enthused as he pulled Santana up by her shoulders. "You've already written three of these, this is the last one in the series, it's the easy one. All you have to do is tie up the loose end, close character stories, resolve issues and what not. You're over complicating it."

"No, I'm not over complicating it, you're just simplifying it," Santana corrected, her eyes glaring at her laptop and refusing to read her words.

"Just read to me what you have so far, come on, try me."

"Ugh, fine," Santana moaned as she pulled her laptop closer, pushing her bangs away and taking a deep breath before beginning. _"Michael I don't understand, I thought you were happy with me," Amelia said softly. "I thought-"_

"Don't use said."

"What? Why?" Santana asked as she furrowed her brow, turning her head to the right only to smash her nose into Kurt's rosy cheek.

"Of all the words you can use, said is the worst," Kurt explained, sliding towards the right as Santana pulled her face out of his cheek. "It's just not very descriptive. It's blah, it's bland, it's beige."

"Ok, but that's why I put softly in there, to describe the way she said what she said," defended Santana, rubbing the tip of her nose with her fingers as she stared back at her laptop screen.

"Well, yeah, but why just have her _say_ it when she can_ whimper_ it, or _whisper_ it, or_ sob_ it," Kurt went on, waving his hand out for emphasis as he added different voices to the words.

"Because Amelia isn't supposed to be sobbing or hiding in a dark place, Kurt," Santana argued flatly, growing more and more irritated with her roommate's 'helpful suggestions'. "Look I know you're just trying to help, but I think I got this. I am published. Beginnings are always the hardest part though."

"Oh, but I have faith in you! After all, you're my wittle writer! Yes you are, and we're so proud of you," Kurt oozed as he smacked both hands on Santana's cheeks, pressing down and wiggling her face around as he cooed. "My wittle writing phenomenon, who's my wittle writer? You are! You are, yes you are!"

"Kwurt!" Santana growled through a smooshed mouth, waving her head and pushing Kurt away with her hands as she groaned. "I've told you about doing that."

"Sorry love, you're much too cute to resist," Kurt shrugged as he picked the laundry basket back up, nudging Santana with his hip before turning to leave. "Alright, I'll leave you to it. Let me know if you need anything. A drink, a snack, an adjective…"

"Yeah you better walk away," Santana mumbled, rubbing the color back into her cheeks as she pouted. "Or I swear to God, the next time you lay a hand on me I'm gonna ram my foot so far up your-"

"Woah ho, what do we have here?" Kurt interrupted abruptly, backing up to the window beside Santana's bed as he set down the laundry basket. "Well look at that, someone's finally staying in the old Callahan cottage."

Santana, still irritated with Kurt yet too intrigued not to look, stood up from the desk chair and made her way to stand beside him. She squeezed in and pulled back the curtain blocking her view, tilting her head and looking out across their side yard to the lot on the left of theirs.

It was here that her eyes were met with the sight of a frail blonde in a yellow dress struggling with a large suitcase, her long locks blowing away in the breeze as her dress danced along with the wind. She seemed to be yelling at something, probably the puppy who insisted on jumping on the tops of her feet, the sight causing Santana to smile.

"Looks like I've got a cake to make," Kurt smiled cheerfully as he clapped his hands together, Santana shifting her eyes away from the window as she snorted.

"You've been waiting to say that ever since we moved in, haven't you?" Kurt dropped his hands as he glared back, bending down and picking up his laundry basket as he sighed.

"Perhaps. Why, something wrong with a little neighborly cheer?"

"You almost creamed yourself at the thought of breaking out your bunt cake tin-"

"_Bundt, Bundt_ cake. Not bunt, _Bundt_, with a _ndt_ sound on the end," Kurt explained as he followed Santana out of the room, the two of them bounding down the stairs until they reached the first floor.

Santana, along with Kurt and his boyfriend Blaine, had been living at 423 Sycamore Lane for 2 years now. Their house, which rested at the end of a cul-de-sac, had only two neighboring houses: the Johnson place, which was only frequented by the family during the summer, and the Callahan cottage, which they had been watching intently. The neighborhood was a quiet one, filled only with the sounds of the water that rushed along the rocks that rested down by the beach. At first it had seemed like a rather dull choice, but Santana had grown to adore it.

Maine hadn't been Santana's first choice for where she wanted to live after graduating from college, her degree in Journalism meant to take her to New York or LA. However, once faced with the real world, and her college loan debt, Santana decided to take the next best choice and move in with her best friend Kurt and his boyfriend Blaine. Blaine's family had owned the house they were now renting, his mom explaining something about family vacations, yada, yada, yada, and they had recently handed it down to Blaine. He had been planning to move there to work at his uncle's paper and earn some photography experience, Kurt opting to tag along to avoid a long distance relationship. The requirements the three had agreed to upon moving in were that they kept the house up and paid the rent on time. Luckily for the three of them Blaine's family had been generous with the rent, only making each of them pay five hundred a month. To look at their small two bedroom house, the rent might have seemed a bit much, but with the ocean front view and private beach it included, not to mention the silence, it had been worth every penny.

"So, what do you think?" Kurt asked as he moved into the kitchen, moving around to the island counters and bending down. "Money or family?"

"What do you mean?" Santana asked in confusion, pulling up a seat at the counter as she watched Kurt search through pots and pans.

"I mean our new neighbor," he replied from inside the cabinet, the crashing of metal against tile making Santana's ears ring as she winced. "Do you think she bought the place, or inherited it?"

"Who's to say she isn't renting it out for a while, like us?" Santana asked, Kurt reappearing with a mixing bowl and Bundt cake pan in hand.

"Please, if you can afford to rent a place out like that alone, you might as well buy it. I say family," Kurt guessed as he moved to the counter Santana was sitting behind. "Probably a relative letting her crash there."

"Huh, I see," Santana nodded as she rested her elbows on the counter, leaning up over it and towards Kurt as she crinkled her forehead. "And why do we care?" Kurt narrowed his gaze as he leaned in.

"Because there hasn't been any action on this street since the Johnson's cat went missing, forgive me for being intrigued." Santana laughed as Kurt moved to the fridge to gather his ingredients, tapping her nails against the counter top as she watched him move.

"So what's the plan of action? Bombard her mid-move and help her unload, or wait until all her craps in the house?"

"Oh wait until the craps in the house, definitely," Kurt nodded as he set down the ingredients and grabbed a measuring cup, opening up the flour and measuring out how much he needed before pouring it into his mixing bowl. "I didn't even move my own stuff, much less someone else's."

"This friendship of yours is off to a great start," Santana snickered, grabbing the bag of chocolate chips and tearing them open before popping a few in her mouth. "You're a real stand up gay."

"I am a real stand-up g-oh funny, I see what you did there, ha ha," Kurt snapped, yanking the bag back and waving a hand at Santana as she pouted. "Don't you have another best seller to write? Oh, that's right…"

"Jerk!" Santana screamed as she leaned across the counter, grabbing a wooden spoon and smacking it against Kurt's arm as he squirmed.

"Hey! Hey! Stop!" Kurt scolded, skillfully grabbing the spoon and pointing it at Santana as he shook his head. "No chocolate chips for you if you keep it up, missy."

"Oh, what? Are you gonna spank me?" Santana asked in a low voice, running her tongue over her lips as she tilted her head back. "Huh? Gonna spank me for being such a bad girl?"

"Oh I'll do more than that," Kurt played along, twirling the spoon between his fingers as he smirked. "Why I'll-"

"Woah, the hell is this?" came the surprised voice of Kurt's boyfriend Blaine, both turning to see him standing in the door frame with a very perplexed expression.

"Oh you know, just flirting a little."

"Screw the flirting, who cares about that," Blaine dismissed, tossing his bag down on an empty kitchen chair as he moved towards the counter. "I mean there's chocolate just sitting out and going to waste when we could be eating it. Rude, guys, really?" Blaine scooped up a few chips and popped them in his mouth, leaning over to peck Kurt's cheek before moving around the counter to give Santana a hug. "What's the occasion?"

"Someone's moved in to the old Callahan cottage."

"Really?" Blaine asked as he faked enthusiasm, his arms resting around Santana's waist he nestled his chin into the crook of her neck.

"Yes, really," Kurt nodded as he mixed in the sugar. "And we're going to bake her one of my famous Chocolate Macaroon Bundt cakes."

"Obviously," Blaine nodded, Santana shoving more chocolate chips in his mouth as she giggled.

"Yes, now if you two are done with your mating ritual, I could use some help with the mixer," Kurt informed them, Blaine taking his cue and sliding from behind Santana as he moved to help Kurt.

Santana watched as the two of them bantered back and forth, the spot beneath her ribs aching a little as she breathed.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna head back upstairs and try to get a little more work done," she announced, Kurt and Blaine pausing their play fight as she stood. "Let me know when it's time to lick the spoon." She waved as she moved towards the stairs, hopping up them two at a time until she reached her room.

Santana threw herself back down in her seat and stared at the screen, blowing air between her lips as she clicked the backspace button.

_"'Michael I don't understand, I thought you were happy with me,' Amelia whispered,"_ Santana read aloud as she corrected the word choice, finishing up the sentence and finding no desire to continue on. She leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms out, a yawn escaping her lips as her shirt rose up. She tilted her head to the side and was able to see clearly out her window, the blonde from next door still moving things out of her car. Santana forced herself to stand and made her way to the window, her fingers grasping the latches and pulling them out as she pushed the window up.

She could hear the blonde speaking, but couldn't quite make it out, Santana watching in amusement as she continued to argue with her puppy. Santana took the moment to up and down the new neighbor, something Kurt would have scolded her for. She had a small frame and thin arms, but her legs looked athletic and she had a backside to boot. Santana pondered the various aspects and finally decided that she was an 8 overall (Santana had a thing for tits, ok? But the ass blondie was working totally made up for that).

While it appeared she was able to move her suitcase from earlier, Santana spotted several other large boxes and what looked like a small bedside table, wondering how in the hell a girl so small would be able to conquer a pile of crap so big. Though she was in no mood whatsoever to lift or move a thing she was even less in the mood to write, Santana glancing back and forth between her laptop and the window. She decided on the latter and quickly grabbed her flats, grumbling over the fact that she would have to do physical labor, but reassuring herself that it meant she could check out the new neighbor as well.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Santana heard Blaine ask the minute she reached the landing, Kurt resting on top of the counter as his better half stirred a thick mixture.

"Well, since Kurt made such a big deal about the new neighbor, I thought I'd go introduce myself," Santana tried to explain rationally, neither boy believing a word as their eyes met.

"You will do anything to avoid working won't you? Even stooping to something as wretched as having a social interaction."

"It's sad, is what it is," Blaine teased, shaking his head as he poured the batter into the pan. "I'm appalled."

"Hey, who said I didn't like interacting with people?" Santana asked, neither roommate answering her as they contained their laughter and judgment. "Ok, fine, I'll never be asked to be on a welcoming committee. Doesn't mean I can't change my ways and try to start now."

"Haven't finished the page you were on, have you?"

"Haven't moved a damn line, Kurt I'm dying up there," Santana groaned, dropping her head as she stomped her foot. "It's exhausting, I just need a break." Kurt puckered out his lower lip in sympathy, grabbing the spoon off the counter and moving to hand it towards Santana.

"Here, have a snack for the road. Be nice to her. Don't scare her off."

"Yes sir," Santana saluted as she licked the spoon, nodding her head before moving towards the door.

"But when you get back you know you're gonna have to start writing that chapter again!" Kurt screamed after, Santana ignoring his shouts as she ran out the door.

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A/N: I know it's a little fluffy here in the beginning, but hang with me, I've got some awesome stuff planned. Hope you enjoyed, and hey! Leave a review if you'd like!


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